Ward gives Benavidez slight edge ahead of unified cruiserweight title fight in Las Vegas

Andre Ward says David Benavidez has a slight edge over Gilberto Ramirez ahead of their May 2 cruiserweight title fight in Las Vegas. Ward pointed to age, record, and recent form as key factors in his assessment.

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Benavidez moves up to challenge Ramirez, who holds two world titles at 200 pounds and has won four straight fights since leaving light heavyweight. Despite Ramirez entering as the champion, betting markets have made Benavidez the favorite.

Ward says that Benavidez’s youth, unbeaten record, and recent form give him the edge in a close matchup.

“He has got the age advantage, he is younger, he is 29 years old. He has less miles on the clock. He has never been beaten,” said Ward to All The Smoke. “Anytime you have been knocked down or beaten, that is a scar that you have to wear. He don’t have that scar going into this fight, but Zurdo does.”

Ward said that he still expects a competitive bout because of Ramirez’s size, experience, and strong run at cruiserweight.

“I think that it’s going to be a great fight, that I give David Benavidez a slight edge to. This is a 60/40 situation for me, maybe a little more in his favor, maybe 65/35.”

Ward also pointed to Benavidez’s style as a major factor, saying opponents often struggle to maintain success over the full fight once the pressure builds.

Although Ramirez has a deep resume, his recent wins over Chris Billiam-Smith and Joe Smith Jr. are a different beast than dealing with the relentless volume Benavidez brings.

Billiam-Smith and Goulamirian are solid, rugged cruiserweights, but they don’t possess the hand speed or the combination punching that “The Mexican Monster” uses to drown his opponents.

The big question mark is definitely how Benavidez carries that 200-pound frame. Speed is usually the first casualty when a fighter jumps weight classes, and Benavidez has already climbed from 168 to 175 and now to 200 in a relatively short window.

Benavidez is moving up 25 pounds from his natural home at super middleweight, which is a massive leap. While he looked sharp against Gvozdyk at 175, the cruiserweight limit is a different world. If he loses that blur in his hand speed, he becomes a lot easier for a crafty southpaw like Ramirez to time.

Ramirez is an experienced champion who knows how to use his reach and footwork. If Benavidez is even 10% slower, Zurdo’s jab could become a serious problem.

It really comes down to whether Benavidez is a blown-up light heavyweight or a legitimate cruiserweight threat. If he’s sluggish, Ramirez has the experience to make him pay for it over twelve rounds.

Ramirez vs Benavidez headlines a Cinco de Mayo weekend card at T-Mobile Arena. Jaime Munguia and Armando Resendiz are set to meet on the undercard.